Change speed gear



March 3,1936. MAlER CHANGE SPEED GEAR Filed July 31, 1954 Patented Mar. 3.193s

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE cmel iiill om Albert Maier, Frledrichshafemfierinany, assignor cuaunnnnreasfie Application July 31, 1934, Serial No. 737,740

' In Germany August 7, 1933 2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in change speed gears, as for instance such used in motor vehicles, in which apart from the usual main clutch for connecting the change speed 5 gear to the engineshaftbehind the change speed gear an auxiliary clutch be a free wheel clutch. The object of the invention is to so construct 'slidable control parts, such as gears, coupling halves or other parts arranged in the change speed'gear which are shifted for engagement and for disengagement, that such shifting takes place in a most silent manner and without any shocks.

Another object of the invention is to obtain a very simple and effective construction.

In accordance-with my invention these objects will be attained by providing the control parts to be shifted with special locking members which are influenced by centrifugal force in such a manner that the control parts while revolving together with their shaft are normally locked against longitudinal displacement, but when the change speed gear is declutched from the motor and from the driven shaft leading to the vehicle wheels the said locking members will come out of action, because of the decrease in the number of revolutions of the parts of the change speed gear to zero or nearly to zero, so that it is then possible to shift, the control parts into the desired position. Preferably the locking members are guided on the slidable control parts and are provided with fly weights. There are specially shaped parts on the locking members fitting into respective gaps 'or grooves formed in the shafts on which the control parts are slidably mounted.

A-constructional example of the invention is shown in the drawing, in which Fig. 1 represents by way of example a change speed gear of an automobile together with a main clutch ll (motor'clutch) and a free wheel clutch I2. The figure is a side elevation, but

, some parts appear in vertical section. The gear box Ills partly broken away to show a slidable control part I adapted for-engagement or disengagement with a counter part 9.

is provided which may Fig. 2 shows this slidable control part togetherwith two locking, members in longitudinal section taken on line -IIII of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of' the device in which 50 the cbntrol part is shown in one'of -its terminal positions. i

/ Figsmiand 5 show in a longitudinal section I and in a corresponding frontelevation the control partin unlocked position while being shifted 5 in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 4);.

ing through said slots, each of said elements be- 55 l is the control part slidably mounted on a shaft 2 by means of splines 2'. The control part i iwhich may be a gear or a coupling half or the like, has an annular groove l' into which extends the shifting fork 3. Locking elements 4 pro- 5 vided with fly weights 5 are loosely fastened to the front face of member I by means of screw bolts 5 which penetrate through corresponding slots 1 allowing for radial displacement of the locking elements. Both locking members are 10 disposed diametrically opposite to each other and are adapted to engage with gaps or grooves formed in the splines 2'. The side faces of the locking membersand the side faces of the said grooves, respectively, are inclined in such a.man- 15 ner that the inclination is greater than the angle of friction concerned.

The weight of the fly weights may be so chosen that the control part i may be easily shifted at a certain pre-determined limit in speed of rota- 2 0 tion.

Normally, i. e., when the shaft turns with a proper speed for transmitting motion the locking members. t remain by action of centrifugal forcein engagement with the shaft 2 (viz. Figs. 2 5

- disconnecting the control part i to or from the other part 9, respectively,

I do not want to be limited to they details described or shown in the drawing as many varia- 40 tions will occur to those skilled in the art.

What I claim isw- I 1. In a. change speed gear for motorvehicles a device of the type comprising: a rotatable shaft, a member splined to said shaft, means for shifting said member longitudinally of said shaft from its, left hand end position into its right hand end position and vice versa, said member" i at one end being provided with a substantially plane snrface-substantially at right angles to the axis of's'aid shaft, two flat elements abutting said plane surface of said shiftable member, said elements being provided with slots, bolts fastened to said member on its plane surface and extendsituated at the endfiositions of said member, re-' spectivelyi 2. In a change speed gear for motor vehicles -in combination: .a rotatable shaft, a member spiined to said shaft, means for sifting said member longitudinally of said shaft, said member 10 having two end positionson'said shaft, flyv weihts Y loosely fastened to said member and having projecting portions adapted to-cooperate with adequate recesses in said shaft at the end positions ,of'said member, respctivelmsaid fly weights being of I flat shape ,and comprising each: -a weight portion situated at one side of said shaft, and an arm withsaid projeotion, said projection being situated substantially on the opposite side of said shaft. 7

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